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IGMA: April 2013

The Insulating Glass Manufacturers Alliance has agreed to provide the
majority of the funding required to develop the models for the
development of an ASTM standard for the thermal stress for IGU’s.

The Insulating Glass Manufacturers Alliance has agreed to provide the majority of the funding required to develop the models for the development of an ASTM standard for the thermal stress for IGU’s. Total funding required to develop the standard is $75,000. This project has been on hold for the past three years.  Previous solicitations to the industry for funding have been unsuccessful due to the economic hardships that the industry has endured.  IGMA will be contacting other organizations to determine if there is interest in participating. 

IGMA just met in New Orleans for the Winter Conference. There, the IGMA Technical Policy Committee finalized the IGMA glossary document, TB-1700-13 – Language of Sealed Insulating Glass Units. Members also heard from the Emerging Technology and Innovation Committee’s four active task groups: Gas Permeability, NREL Advanced Testing Fenestration, Vacuum Insulating Glass and Life Cycle Assessment.

Currently the Gas Permeability task group is reviewing the draft RFP for Phase 2.

NREL Advanced Testing Fenestration task group is seeking to develop a “big hammer” test, which would result in faster test times. The Vacuum Insulating Glazing task group is working on a white paper on VIG.  The first draft was reviewed at the conference. The Life Cycle Assessment task group was provided an opportunity to review Draft 9 of the product category rule for fenestration products.  The completion of the document has been delayed due to complications with the “use phase,“ specifically, thermal performance of the fenestration system.

During the conference four ballots were reviewed. The first was Design Considerations for Multiple Cavity IGU’s.

All comments were reviewed and the document approved.  The document will now proceed to the Technical Policy Committee for final technical review, legal review and final approval by the IGMA board of directors. Publication is expected this summer. This task group will now work on dimensional tolerances of multiple-cavity IGU.

The second ballot reviewed was Guidelines to Reduce Incidences of Thermal Stress. Again, comments were reviewed and the document approved. The document will now proceed to the Technical Policy Committee for final technical review, legal review and final approval by the IGMA board of directors. Publication is also expected in the summer of this year.

Design Considerations for Use of Capillary Tubes was a joint ballot between IGMA and the Glass Association of North America. All comments were reviewed and the document approved.  The document will now proceed to the Technical Policy Committee for final technical review, legal review and final approval by the IGMA board of directors. This document will now be balloted to the GANA IG division.  Once approved there, the document will proceed to the Technical Policy Committee for final technical review, legal review and final approval by the IGMA board.

The final ballot for the Setting Blocks Technical Bulletin was reviewed. This ballot is on the appropriate use of setting blocks in double and multiple-cavity IGU.  This is a companion piece to TM-3000-90(04): IGMA Glazing Guidelines for Insulating Glass Units for Commercial and Residential Use.  It is intended to be distributed to window manufacturers to ensure the correct size, strength and placement of setting blocks particularly in multiple-cavity IGU.  This document will be re-balloted.

On the certification side of business, the Insulating Glass Manufacturers Association of Canada Certification Program has adopted the IGCC-IGMA guidelines for testing materials such as grills and blinds between the lites of the insulating glass units.  This requirement went into effect Jan. 1. Fabricators will need to comply to remain listed with the National Fenestration Rating Council IG agency programs. The Certification and Education Committee, specifically the Spacer and Integrated Spacer Systems Task Group are looking at alternate ways to determine component equivalency.  Currently the task group is reviewing performance attributes as the determination for equivalency rather than the spacer bonding surface which is currently used.

The IGMA 2013 Summer Conference will be held August 7 to 10 at the Marriott Harbour Front hotel in Halifax, N.S.  The 2014 Winter Conference will be held the last week of February 2014 in San Francisco. The Emerging Technology and Innovation Committee will be meeting at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and will tour the FlexLab facilities. Should be a fascinating tour.

Margaret Webb is the executive director of the Insulating Glass Manufacturer’s Alliance.